Floor cleaner

ABSTRACT

A floor cleaner is disclosed including a first cleaning roller that is operatively positioned on a cleaning head to engage the surface to be cleaned. A second cleaning roller is operatively positioned on the cleaning head, parallel to the first cleaning roller. The second cleaning roller is movable between a first position engaging the surface to be cleaned and a second position spaced from the surface to be cleaned. A carriage assembly is coupled to the second cleaning roller. The carriage assembly is configured to move the second cleaning roller between the first position and the second position. A drive assembly is operatively connected to and configured to rotate at least one of the first cleaning roller and the second cleaning roller. An actuator is operable to move the carriage assembly from the first position to the second position.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to cleaning heads for floor cleaners.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment a floor cleaner is disclosed including a body, a cleaning head, a first cleaning roller, a second cleaning roller, and at least one drive assembly. The cleaning head is pivotally connected to the body and configured for movement across a surface to be cleaned. The cleaning head includes a suction inlet. The first cleaning roller is operatively positioned on the cleaning head to engage the surface to be cleaned. The second cleaning roller is operatively positioned on the cleaning head, parallel to the first cleaning roller. The second cleaning roller is movable between a first position engaging the surface to be cleaned and a second position spaced from the surface to be cleaned. A carriage assembly is coupled to the second cleaning roller. The carriage assembly is configured to move the second cleaning roller between the first position and the second position. The drive assembly is operatively connected to and configured to rotate at least one of the first cleaning roller and the second cleaning roller. The floor cleaner includes a suction source in fluid communication with the suction inlet. An actuator is operable to move the carriage assembly from the first position to the second position.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a floor cleaner according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a cleaning head of the floor cleaner of FIG. 1, shown in a second position.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the cleaning head shown in FIG. 2, shown in a first position.

FIG. 4 is a side view of an alternative cleaning head of the floor cleaner of FIG. 1, shown in a second position.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the cleaning head shown in FIG. 3, shown in a first position.

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosure relates to a floor cleaner 10 having a body 12 and a cleaning head 14 having two agitators. The cleaning head 14 is pivotally connected to the body 12 and the cleaning head 14 is configured to be movable along a surface to be cleaned 100. The floor cleaner 10 is configured to operate in two or more cleaning modes. In one mode, two agitators engage the surface to be cleaned 100, and in a second mode, one agitator engages the surface to be cleaned 100. The two or more cleaning modes allow for customized cleaning based on the surface to be cleaned, such that the floor cleaner 10 may, for example, provide agitation to clean carpeted surfaces with the second roller engaged in one mode, while providing wiping or brushing action to clean smooth surfaces with the second roller lifted in the second mode. In one embodiment the floor cleaner 10 is an extractor including two cleaning rollers, a suction nozzle 22, a suction source 24, a solution tank 26, a distribution system in fluid communication with the solution tank 26, and a recovery tank 28 in fluid communication with the suction nozzle 22 and the suction source 24. In one embodiment the floor cleaner 10 is a vacuum cleaner including two cleaning rollers, a suction nozzle 22, a suction source 24, a separator and dust container 28′ in fluid communication with the suction nozzle 22 and the suction motor 24.

The cleaning head 14 includes a front side 16 and a rear side 18. A suction inlet 17, which is in fluid communication with the suction source 24, is adjacent the front side. The first cleaning roller 30 and the second cleaning roller 32 are operatively positioned on the cleaning head 14 and extend longitudinally between two lateral sides 20, 20′. The second cleaning roller 32 is spaced from, and parallel to, the first cleaning roller 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the second cleaning roller 32 is positioned rearwardly of the first cleaning roller 30. The cleaning head 14 is pivotally connected to the body 12 such that the body 12 pivots about a first pivot axis 50 oriented along the direction of the first and second cleaning rollers.

The cleaning head 14 includes the first cleaning roller 30 and the second cleaning roller 32, at least one drive assembly 40, and a carriage assembly 34. The carriage assembly 34 comprises the drive assembly 40, the second cleaning roller 32, and a lifting mechanism for moving the second cleaning roller 32 between a first position and a second position. The first and second cleaning rollers are configured to contact the surface to be cleaned 100 when the cleaning rollers are in the first position. The first cleaning roller is operable in the second position, where the first cleaning roller 30 engages the surface to be cleaned 100 and the second cleaning roller 32 is spaced from the surface to be cleaned 100. The cleaning rollers 30 and 32 are driven by the drive assembly for agitating the surface to be cleaned 100.

The carriage assembly 34 and the second cleaning roller 32 are movable between the first position and the second position by an actuator. The actuator allows the user to selectively control the movement of the carriage assembly 34 and the second cleaning roller 32 between the first position and the second position.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the actuator includes a cable 36′. The cable 36′ is coupled to the carriage assembly 34 at a cable proximal end and the cable 36′ is coupled to a lever at a cable distal end. The user applies a force to the lever portion to move the cable 36′, moving the second cleaning roller 32 into the raised second position. To move the second cleaning roller 32 from the second position to the first position, the user applies an opposite force to the lever portion to move the cable 36′, moving the second cleaning roller 32 into the first position.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the actuator includes a motor 36. The motor 36 provides the force to move the carriage assembly 34 and the second cleaning roller 32 between the first position and the second position. The motor 36 provides the force to a drive, which, in one embodiment, turns a cam. The cam then lifts the carriage assembly 34 to move the second cleaning roller 32 to the second position, and the cam lowers the carriage assembly 34 to move the second cleaning roller 32 to the first position. In one embodiment, the second cleaning roller 32 is held in the first position by a latch. The force provided by the motor 36 to the cam provides the force to unlatch the latch and allow the second cleaning roller 32 to move to the second position. In one alternative, the cam is actuated by a manual user interface, such as a lever, knob, slide, or other user actuated mechanism.

In one embodiment, the actuator includes a ramp. The ramp slides under the carriage assembly 34 and the second cleaning roller 32 to space the second cleaning roller 32 away from the surface to be cleaned 100. The ramp maybe moved by a motor, such as a servomotor. In one alternative, the ramp is actuated by a manual user interface, such as a lever, knob, slide, or other user actuated mechanism.

In one embodiment, the first cleaning roller 30 is a soft roller such as a microfiber material or bristle material made of fine fibers and the second cleaning roller 32 is an agitating roller configured to agitate the surface to be cleaned 100, such as a tufted bristle brushroll. The first cleaning roller 30 is configured to always be in contact with the surface 100, whereas the second cleaning roller 32 may be positioned to contact the surface 100 for agitating carpet or tile surfaces in the first position, but may be spaced from the surface in the second position to utilize only the first roller on other flooring, such as wood or laminate. The second cleaning roller 32 is movable between the first position wherein the second cleaning roller engages the surface to be cleaned 100 and the second position wherein the second cleaning roller 32 is spaced from the surface to be cleaned.

The floor cleaner 10 may include user selected modes based on the type of cleaning roller selected for the first cleaning roller 30 and the second cleaning roller 32. In one embodiment, the first cleaning roller 30 is a soft fiber roll selected for use on hard flooring, and the second cleaning roller 32 is an agitating roll for use on carpet, whereby the floor cleaner 10 may include a hard floor mode when the bristles of the second cleaning roller 32 are lifted off of the surface in the second position, and the floor cleaner 10 may include a carpet or tile cleaning mode when the bristles of the second cleaning roller 32 are lowered to the first position to contact the surface 100. In one embodiment, the first and second cleaning rollers 30, 32 may be agitating rolls for use on carpet, whereby the floor cleaner 10 may include a standard carpet mode when the second cleaning roller 32 is in the second position, and a heavy duty mode when the second cleaning roller 32 is in the first position. In one embodiment, the first cleaning roller 30 is a soft fiber roll selected for use on hard flooring, and the second cleaning roller 32 is a scrubbing roll for use on hard flooring, whereby the floor cleaner 10 may include a standard hard floor mode when the bristles of the second cleaning roller 32 are lifted off of the surface in the second position, and a scrubbing mode when the bristles of the second cleaning roller 32 are lowered to engage the surface 100 in the first position.

In one embodiment, the carriage assembly 34 includes a belt 38 configured allow rotation of the cleaning rollers 30, 32 by the agitator motor 40. In another embodiment, the carriage assembly 34 includes a gear drive configured to allow rotation of the cleaning rollers 30, 32. Further, the carriage assembly 34 allows the second cleaning roller 32 to pivot about the first cleaning roller 30 between a first position (FIGS. 3 and 5) and a second position (FIGS. 2 and 4). In the first position, the second cleaning roller 32 is in contact with the surface to be cleaned 100 and in the second position the second cleaning roller 32 is removed and not in contact with the surface to be cleaned 100. In one embodiment, the second cleaning roller 32 is pivotable about a pivot 50 in the first cleaning roller.

In one embodiment, the second cleaning roller is held in the first position by a spring force. The spring may apply a downward force on the carriage assembly or the second cleaning roller toward the first position. Alternatively, the spring may apply an upward force on the carriage assembly or the second cleaning roller toward the second position. In one embodiment, a motor provides the force to a drive that turns a cam and lifts one end of the carriage assembly. In one embodiment, the motor is a servomotor.

Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A floor cleaner comprising: a body; a cleaning head pivotally connected to the body and configured for movement across a surface to be cleaned, the cleaning head including a suction inlet; a first cleaning roller operatively positioned on the cleaning head to engage the surface to be cleaned; a second cleaning roller operatively positioned on the cleaning head, parallel to the first cleaning roller, movable between a first position engaging the surface to be cleaned and a second position spaced from the surface to be cleaned; a carriage assembly coupled to the second cleaning roller, the carriage assembly configured to move the second cleaning roller between the first position and the second position; a drive assembly operatively connected to and configured to rotate at least one of the first cleaning roller and the second cleaning roller; a suction source in fluid communication with the suction inlet; an actuator operable to move the carriage assembly from the first position to the second position.
 2. The floor cleaner of claim 1, wherein the second cleaning roller is pivotable about the first cleaning roller to move from the first position to the second position.
 3. The floor cleaner of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a cable having a proximal end connected to the carriage assembly and a distal end connected to a user interface, the user interface configured to pull the cable moving the second cleaning roller from the first position to the second position.
 4. The floor cleaner of claim 3, wherein the second cleaning roller is retained in the second position spaced from the surface by the cable.
 5. The floor cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a spring applying an upward force on the carriage assembly or the second roller toward the second position.
 6. The floor cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a spring applying a downward force on the carriage assembly or the second roller toward the first position.
 7. The floor cleaner of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a drive motor assembly operatively connected to the carriage assembly configured to move the second roller from the first position to the second position.
 8. The floor cleaner of claim 7, wherein the second cleaning roller is retained in the second position spaced from the surface by the force of the motor.
 9. The floor cleaner of claim 1, wherein the first cleaning roller is a soft microfiber roller and the second cleaning roller includes a plurality of tufted bristles.
 10. The floor cleaner of claim 1, wherein the second cleaning roller is movable relative to the first cleaning roller. 